Birthday Month

Happy Birthday Camille & Maggie!

We celebrated Maggie's 1st birthday on the 16th.  Boy, where does the time go!?! I'm convinced I just had her! We love that little girl. She brings so much joy to our family. I'm not sure what we did without her.

Today (18th), we celebrate Camille's 6th birthday! There aren't enough words to describe her. She is witty, spunky, carefree, and so full of life. She is the family comedian! She's sandwiched between her two sisters, but boy does she stand out! 

We love you girls...Happy Birthday!

Falling for Fall

It's been busy around here since school began. We've been doing regular life with school work, art class, soccer, tumbling, etc.

I love fall even though south Louisiana doesn't really have a true fall season. I LOVE to decorate and design my home around the seasons. My front door and fireplace mantle are inspired for Fall.

We've spent some time at fall festivals, the local pumpkin patch, and trick or treating.

 

November is full of birthdays (4 to be exact) and Thanksgiving. Then we get to celebrate my favorite season, Christmas!

Until next time...

2nd and Kinder

One of the first posts I ever did was two years ago when I sent my oldest off to Kindergarten. This year, we officially have 2 in school (insert all kind of feelings here).

In many ways, this year was so much easier. I knew what to expect the first day, and I was so relieved that my oldest would be able to show my middle child the ropes. That lessened the anxiety and the nerves. Camille has the same Kinder teacher that Lily did, and we are more than grateful. She is fun, energetic, and truly loves those kids. I still woke up on Camille's first day of school with a knot in my stomach. I'm happy to report that I wasn't emotional and no tears were shed. There's just something about sending your innocent child into the "real world." 

We've been in the school routine for a few weeks now and everything is going smoothly. Both girls love their teachers. We are looking forward to a great year!

Summer 2016

Summer 2016 will be one that I'll always remember. It was the first summer that I was home with both my girls and a baby...and we survived!

We had our challenging days for sure, but we were also able to spend a lot of time together and with family. The days are long but the years are short. I truly believe that. 

The older girls attended vacation bible school the first week of summer so we've been singing the VBS songs all summer long. They also freshened up their skills at swimming lessons and flipped and jumped their way through gymnastics every week. We even found some time for blueberry picking, skating, and a trip to the zoo! Our summer vacation was a week long stay in Orange Beach, Alabama with our extended family. We also enjoyed a wedding in the family. My husband's sister and her fiancé were married over the Labor Day weekend. It was a beautiful wedding and such a fun time.

 On a somber note, our town (and surrounding towns) experienced an awful rain and flooding event just a few short weeks ago. It will forever be remembered as the Flood of 2016. By the grace of God, we were not affected, but we have many friends who have lost everything. Their homes were destroyed. Everywhere you look is complete devastation. My heart goes out to them. However, in times like these, our community pulls together and people become a living example of Christ on earth; truly helping your neighbor. I've never been more proud to call Youngsville, LA my home. 

Labor Day has passed, and I'm officially ready for Fall, my favorite time of year. I may or may not have already decorated my house for the new season!!

Until next time...

Happy Birthday Lily

She is sassy but sweet, super smart, a great big sister, full of energy, and today, she's 7! She made me a mom, and I'll forever be grateful! Happy Birthday Lily! We love you! 

I'm Back!

Wow! What a hiatus it has been. Time really got the best of me!

I really didn't think it would take me 9 months to write a new post, but I was training my replacement at work and stayed busy with all my other motherly and wifely duties. In November, we welcomed an 8 pound 1 ounce bundle of joy, Maggie.

Since then, I've been busy keeping up with 3 girls and enjoying my time at home. It's amazing how fast time passes. That sweet little baby is now 6 months old...growing like a weed. 

School lets out in less than a week, and I'll have all 3 home with me for the summer. I hope I can squeeze in a post or two about our summer adventures. 

Until next time...

Food for Thought...

I stumbled across this article this morning, and it really spoke to me and to a few issues weighing heavily on my heart at this time. Social media can be both a blessing and a curse. One thing it certainly does is highlight everything that is going on in the world and people's opinions about those things. I get discouraged when I look at society. I see a lot of immorality and the decisions made by our politicians have been less than stellar, in my opinion. I'm scared to think about what my children will face as they make their way to adulthood, especially since I'm about to bring a new life into this world.

The article can be found here http://www.catholicstand.com/a-humble-love-for-a-hurting-world/

Here are a few excerpts from this wonderfully written article. It is encouragement amid the discouragement of this world.

"It seems not a day goes by without a headline story about the culture wars. Everyday there is controversy about gay marriage, abortion, contraception or even migrants fleeing danger by crossing borders of other countries. There is a human drama playing out in front of our eyes everywhere we turn. I have been living with this underlying fear that I have had difficulty identifying. I could not figure out what exactly I was afraid of until I spent some time praying about it. Yesterday I spent the day telling God that I am scared, scared of what is happening to our world, scared of all the pictures of dead children, scared of all the Christians who seem to be acting out in their own fear, and scared mostly that I will not be a good witness of Christ in a world that needs saints and not Pharisees. My fears were coming from pride, from the idea that it was my responsibility to make sure that everyone knew the right way to live. I felt I had to convert them or force them to live that way, or else. Or else what? Am I going to spend my time telling them what horrible sinners they are, because I am a saint? That is far from the truth, for I am also a sinner. My fear came from my sense of having to make sure that people do what I tell them to do, from a desire to control them, but that is not what I am called to do. I am called to love them, just as Christ loves us without approving of our sins. God does not want us to wait until we are sinless to come to Him, it is by coming to Him that we can become saints not the other way around. He is the source of Grace that helps us to reach sainthood. Without Him, there is no hope of that happening for any of us. The entire point of preaching the Kingdom of God is to bring people into a personal relationship with Jesus, not to make sure that they are just like us. Everything about our Faith serves Him, not the other way around. Our goal cannot be to ensure that people stop accepting gay marriage, getting abortions, or using birth control. Letting go of that lifestyle is part of what comes with making Christ the Lord of your life. But before any of that can happen, one has to KNOW who Jesus is and fall in love with Him. Then the rest comes by Grace and the Power of the Holy Spirit. I always get myself in trouble when I make the mistake of thinking that I am the one who needs to make sure people follow the “rules”. Mostly because when I do that, I lose sight of Christ as well, and forget to look at my own faults with the same microscope that I am using to look at the faults of others. "

Revisiting Summer Vacation

Labor Day marks the official end of summer although, in my world, it's usually the 1st day of school! I spent the entire summer not once posting about our vacations/summer activities. Today, I'm going to revisit our summer before I begin taking out pumpkins and getting ready for all things Fall!

 

Boy, was this summer busy! I don't remember it ever being as busy as it was. June started out slower paced, but July just flew right by.

 

We celebrated Lily's birthday right when school ended with a water slide party. The girls attended Vacation Bible School at the beginning of June, and we broke away for a quick trip with our cousins!

 

 

Swimming lessons kept them busy for 2 weeks, we celebrated the 4th of July, enjoyed the circus, and then Mom escaped to the beach for a weekend girls trip...much needed!

 

 

We took one more weekend trip to New Orleans as a family before school started. We visited the insectarium and ate our fill of beignets! Yum!

 



 

 

An adult getaway was a must! It was Craig and I's last adult vacation before the baby comes, and I'm sure will be our last adult vacation for a while. We enjoyed visiting beautiful Massachusetts...Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, Boston, and Salem.

 

Summer is over! It was a fun one, but I'm ready for cooler weather, changing leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween!

Until next time...


 

Back to School...Again!?!

Wasn't it just the other day I was posting for the first time about Lily's 1st day of Kindergarten.

 

Where does the time go?

 

Today was the 1st day of 1st grade for this little lady!

 

 

 

She was a little nervous this morning, but ready for the year ahead. This year was much easier on her (and my heart) since we both have a year under our belt. She has friends from last year, she knows the routine, she knows her way around school. I can't wait to get home to hear about her day!

 

 

This little lady had a big week too! She started a Pre-K program at a new school. This will get her ready to start Kindergarten next fall. I'm sure I'll blink my eyes, and I'll be back posting about Camille's first day. Yikes! She's been there all week, and she loves it! I'll admit I cried dropping her off. It's something about seeing your children go out on their own in a brand new place that's terrifying.

 

 

I pray they both have great school years! I hope they make friends who are kind and uplifting. I hope their teachers have patience and understanding with them, and I hope they grow in confidence this upcoming year.

 

 

Until next time...

Happy Birthday Lily!

6 years ago, this little lady made me a mom! It's by far the best job I've ever had!  

 

She completely changed the course of our lives, and I can't imagine my life without her. She's a spitting image of her daddy with the same personality as her mother! What a combination!

 

 

 

She's so funny and she's super smart. She loves animals and is a nurturer at heart. She is a great big sister, and she's going to be a huge help in November when the new baby arrives.

 

 

There aren't enough words to express how I feel about this little girl. Happy Birthday Lily! I love, love, love you and I'm so glad you are mine!

 

Surprise!

Camille is being promoted to big sister! Baby # 3 is due in November!

 

 

I'm officially out of my 1st trimester and we are SO excited! I feel really, really blessed to be able to do this for a third time. Especially because I know couples are struggling to conceive. Having a child is a privilege not afforded to everyone. I went to the doctor just last week and heard the heartbeat. That sound never gets old, and the entire process just completely amazes me.

 

Children were never on my radar, even as a young adult right out of college, and even though I was in a serious relationship. My girls were not really "planned" and my God how happy I am that they weren't. The best things in life are sometimes unexpected gifts. God's plan is always greater. I often wonder, if things didn't happen the way they did, if we would even have children at this point in our lives? I never expected to enjoy motherhood as much as I do. It is easily the greatest accomplishment in my life. This is the vocation that I'm called to...married life and motherhood. The Lord is giving me the opportunity to love, protect, and raise these children that are his. Those are things I don't take lightly. How amazing a privilege. I try to remember that every day especially days when I don't feel "motherly."

 

The first 3 months have been pretty easy. I've never had morning sickness for any of my children. Praise God because I think I would have stopped after 1! Besides fatigue, I've been feeling fine. I'm praying for a healthy baby, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy delivery.

 

What's up Wednesday!?

It's not until you sit down to write about the things that have been going on, that you realize how quickly life passes. Today, I'm linking up and sharing about what's up in our life lately...

1. What we're eating this week: Gosh! This might just be the hardest thing to decide on every week. I'm constantly trying to think of new, healthy ideas for my family. This week, we've tried some Simple Asian Noodles, had the obligatory Taco Tuesday, and will put some ribs in the slow cooker later in the week. I also made a delicious pound cake last night.

2. What I'm reminiscing about: How last year at this time I was crying about Lily heading off to Kindergarten! Just yesterday, I received information about her Kinder graduation next month. It's hard to believe I will have a 1st grader. It's hard to believe how fast this year has gone by.

3. What I'm loving: I've been super tired lately, so I'm loving any kind of downtime I can get. I'm also loving the idea of summer and heading out of town for a few vacations!

4. What we've been up to: What have we not been up to? School, homework, work, etc. Our weekends have been very busy with birthday parties, First Communions, and Craig and I enjoyed a local Festival last Saturday, kid-free.

5. What I'm dreading: Luckily, nothing at the moment!

6. What I'm working on: I'm hoping to get back in the yard this week to clean it up, plant a few more flowers, and maybe even start a small vegetable garden. The weather has been very rainy lately. April brought more than enough showers!!

7. What I'm excited about: That's for another post...coming VERY soon. I'm also excited about this cool front that passed yesterday. It's a nice break from the heat!

8. What I'm watching/reading: I wish I could say I was reading. I LOVE to read, but just haven't found the time to do it since my children were born. I used to read 2-3 books/month, now I'm lucky if I average 2-3 books a year. I'm hoping to rectify that this summer. I'm watching Dancing with the Stars and American Idol consistently. I also DVR The Voice and play catch-up on the weekends. I'm also still working on Parenthood! After the series finale in January, I started from season 1 and watched episodes. It's not something I do every day so I'm slowly but surely making my way through the seasons.

9. What I'm listening to: I've heard Shake it Off, All About that Bass, and Uptown Funk so much, my ears hurt. When my kids are not requesting those songs, I'm usually listening to Christian music.

10. What I'm wearing: Listen, the last thing I am is a fashionista. Shopping for clothes is not my love language. I'm basically wearing business casual attire during the work day and something comfortable on the weeknights or weekends. Nothing fancy here.

11. What I'm doing the weekend: Refer back to #6 and we also have another First Communion on Sunday that we will be attending.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month: School's out for Summer! May is usually a busy month but filled with so much excitement. Looking forward to a break in the routine for a couple months and planning Lily's 6th birthday party!

13. What else is new: Besides #'s 1-12, not much else to report.

14. What I'm giving (or want to receive) for Mother's Day: I'm easy...I'd love a pedicure/facial/massage over jewelry any day. As far as the mother's in my life, I'm still working on some ideas.

Very important announcement coming soon! I can't wait. Until then...